Some of us regularly volunteer to operate the reproduction wooden press down the street at the Ephrata Cloister where the area’s rich history of printing began. We were able to use an engraving from the HSCV collection to produce this souvenir print for hundreds of visitors. [The 1732 refers to the year the Ephrata Community was founded.]
The engraving of the Saron (sisters house) and Saal (chapel) originally appeared in Historical Collections of the State of Pennsylvania, by Sherman Day in 1843.
Colophon: “America 250” Romany 36 pt; “1732” Gothic Extra Condensed 48 pt; “Hiatoric Ephrata…” Engravers Old English 12 pt. All type from the collection at the Dancing Rainbow Press. Paper: 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 Aged Parchment 100# French Paper. 400 – 500 copies on 1917 Golding Jobber and Reproduction English Common Press.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 we are travelling to Havre de Grace, Maryland. Join us and other print related vendors from 11 am until 4 pm.
“The Chesapeake Print & Book Arts Fair showcases the art of printmaking in historical and contemporary forms. Vendor items include the book arts, letterpress printing presses, equipment, supplies & accessories, wood & metal type, ink, presses and paper, printmaking, handmade announcements, invitations, posters, limited edition books, and more. The Fair highlights the design and craft of all print and paper arts — from letterpress, printmaking, and screen printing, to book arts and papermaking.”
Unless we’re demonstrating the way Colonial presses operated no one is using ink balls anymore. Even hand inking is done with a brayer, a roller, and our mechanized presses rely on them. Though Gutenburg was inventing moveable type around 1450, the roller wouldn’t be invented until nearly 400 years later.
Samuel Binham, invented the first roller in 1826 working for Daniel Fanshaw, who as printer for the American Tract & Bibles Societies was the largest printer of his day. In 1849 Samuel started Bingham Brothers Company, manufacturer of rollers for the printing industries.
His picture to the right is from a postcard that was mailed February 1, 1912 to G. N. LeFevre, Strasburg, Pa from the Bingham Brothers Co. which by then had offices in New York, Philadelphia, Rochester, and allied concerns Bingham and Runge in Cleveland, Ohio, and Bernhard Dietz Co. in Baltimore, Md.
George Newton LeFevre died November 29, 1943 at age 93. His short bio states that he was born and died in Strasburg Township and was a printer by trade. He is buried in the LeFevre Cemetery on North Star Road, just north of Strasburg, Pa.
Yes we’re ready to return to regularly scheduled Saturday mornings from 9 to noon. We’ll be there with lots of new projects and even a new press. Our C&P has been replaced by a 1917 Golding Jobber. The extreme cold has kept us from previously unplanned winter work so we hope to have it and some other acquisitions sorted out and set up for the opening.
Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The print shop will be closed in January and February. In fair weather you may find us in working on some exciting new projects but otherwise count on visiting us the first Saturday of March. Watch the web site for other updates along the way as well.
On September 20, 2025 the print shop will be closed. Come visit us at our booth at the Lancaster Printers’ Fair from 11:00 am – 4:00 pm at 2901 Willow Street Pike, Willow Street, PA 17584.
Posted inEvents|Comments Off on Lancaster Printers’ Fair
Come seek us out on Main Street from 11 am – 4 pm. Print a souvenir on a late 1800’s Sigwalt tabletop press. The print shop will be closed today and the next two weeks. See you in August.
Posted inEvents|TaggedOther Places|Comments Off on See Us In Lititz for Second Saturday in July
We have acquired a collection of wood type from Hocking Printing and are in the process of organizing and cataloging it. The attached document gives a rough sample of almost all of it though there are some errors in sorting it and not very much progress at all in naming it. Most of the names provided are only rough attempts for us to keep it organized. Any assistance in giving the fonts their original names would be appreciated.
The print shop will greet the new year with a vacation of sorts. We won’t be scheduled to be open until March 1 when we resume our Saturday mornings from 9 to noon schedule. Someone may be there by chance on warmer days because much work was left to be done from 2024. And if you are from away and plan to be in town we’d be glad to schedule a special opening for you. Just email Randy at randy@conestogapress.org.
Our 2024 Christmas Coaster with snowflakes from Bowerbox Press.
The Conestoga Press is part of the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley and housed in the Carriage House of the Theodore Sprecher Museum at 249 West Main Street, Ephrata, Pennsylvania. It is operated by volunteers most Saturday mornings and during special events.
